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Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz — Sept. 17, 2019

Sept. 17, 2019
If a machine has been changed in some way, the maintenance procedures probably need to change.

Just before you hired on at this plant a year ago, a new process line was added. It was designed and built by a machine rebuilder, using salvaged parts. The cost-savings to the company was considerable; without going this route, the new line would have been infeasible.

Since installation, the line has had a few upgrades, all of which were installed or performed by someone in maintenance. Over the past few months, the downtime rate of this line has been accelerating. Now it seems it has a problem every other day.

The maintenance procedures are being followed, and they were recently reviewed by the rebuilder who subsequently said they were fine.

How would you solve for this?

Was there good communication between the rebuilder and the maintenance people when designing and implementing the upgrades? Because an upgrade changes the equipment, you need to characterize and understand the changes. You also need to determine if there are discrepancies between the rebuilder's design of those changes and how those changes were actually implemented.

Go through this process deliberately and methodically. To ensure you and the rebuilder are “speaking the same language” compile a list of terms and write a definition for each. Make sure you agree on what these terms mean.

Clearing up any errors of implementation might solve this. But don't stop there. Because the machine has changed, it follows that the maintenance procedures probably need to change. Once it's agreed the machine is correctly upgraded, review with the rebuilder how each specific upgrade might alter the maintenance.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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